


that a man can stand up

by seraf



Series: war, illuminated [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Clone Wars, Conspiracy, Coruscant, Gen, Order 66, Rebellion, Revolution, order 66 as a slave rebellion, the senate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 12:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16974315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraf/pseuds/seraf
Summary: order 66 as a planned event on the part of the clones, as a slave rebellion.





	1. Chapter 1

the march of the 501st on the jedi temple is a planned event - no chips, no contingency plans, nothing. order 66 is a whispered slave rebellion passed from unit to unit. their intent is to subdue the jedi or capture them, lethal force only if necessary or in self defense. 

(  _we’ll be killed for this,_ boil tells cody in an oddly flippant tone. he hasn’t really cared, since they lost waxer.  _i know,_ cody replies, helmet in his hands.  _but this cannot go on like this. we need to stand up._ ) 

everyone knows the clone wars are drawing to a close. 

once they do - they’re soldiers. what happens to them then? does the republic kill them, herd them away, let them rot in their armor? forget about them entirely? things cannot stay the way they are. 

so the clones do what nobody expected them to, and they just  _stop._

capture their jedi generals or kill them if there’s no other option, and sit down and stop. there’s no one else - the war relied on the clones, relied on the jedi, to go round, so with both just screeching to a halt, the war pauses as well, teetering on the edge. 

the march on the jedi temple, anakin finds out about purely by accident. 

his men are silent when he asks them if he would be one of the ones killed or imprisoned for treating men like cattle, and he realizes with a sickening jolt that they’re right.  _i led a slave revolt once, back … home,_ he tells appo, quietly.  _you have every reason not to trust me, or to try and do this by yourselves._

_but, i can open the doors for you. that much, at least, i owe you._


	2. Chapter 2

‘ captain ohnaka. ‘ 

it’s from an unfamiliar holocode in republic space, and hondo is wary as he answers it - yes, the republic has more of a lenient relationship with him than do the seperatists, but he’s still waiting for the day they decide to buckle down on him for charges of piracy, kidnapping, etc. when he is no longer a useful contact to have. 

( and if they’re asking for help from him now, he’s not sure he wants to take the job. more trouble than they are worth, really. )

still, he answers the comm with a smile and a hearty ‘ hello, hello - oh,  _commander,_ it  _has_ been awhile, yes? you are with kenobi. so. how goes the war, gentlemen? ‘ 

clones, he could deal with. jango had been a friend, and they were much like jango, but with an even more resounding sense of honor. and, rest jango’s soul in wherever bounty hunters went after they’d been killed by jedi, but some of them were a good deal smarter than him, too. 

cody tugs his helmet off, rests it underneath his arm. his face is calm. ‘ hondo. i need a favor. ‘ 

hondo groans, throwing his hands back dramatically. ‘ oh! of course. once again, you have the - ‘  

‘ shut up, ‘ cody says briskly, cutting him off. 

‘ now, now, commander, that is not a very good way to start things if you are here to ask a favor of me. ‘ hondo said, wagging a finger at the hologram, leaning back in his chair and  _tsk_ ing sadly. ‘ not very good at all. did the jedi never teach you any manners? ‘ 

‘ i know there are some of us working with you, ‘ cody says, refusing to rise to any of the bait hondo set out for him. bastard. 

hondo stiffens slightly, but refuses to show that, waving one hand lazily. ‘ ahh, so what if they are? i am a busy busy man, commander, i can hardly keep track of who comes in and out of my crews. it is their choice, no? ‘ 

‘ exactly, ‘ cody says. ‘ and that’s the favor i need from you. ‘ 

hondo raises a brow, gasping as if scandalized and pressing a hand to his chest - not where his heart was, of course, but it was a common gesture to humans, and more understandable that way.  ‘ what is this? does the honorable marshall commander wish to defect? scandalous, commander. ‘ 

‘ not me, ‘ cody says, and hums, considering how to phrase it. ‘ we’re going to rebel. a slave rebellion, on the part of the clones. we’re going to phrase it as an ultimatum to the senate - they grant us our personhood, or we leave the republic and refuse to continue fighting their war. ‘ 

hondo nods. ‘ a coup? ‘ 

‘ not unless it has to be. but if our jedi refuse to surrender, well … they’ve taken enough of our lives that we can justify having theirs. ‘ 

‘ you are asking for sanctuary for your people, yes? if this does not go through, or perhaps … if it does. what will you do if not fight, commander cody? ‘ 

‘ sanctuary, yes. if you require some of us work for you, we’d be glad to, as long as we have the right to our bodies and a portion of whatever spoils you end up with. ‘ 

hondo strokes his chin, pretending to think it over. in truth, he’s already made up his mind - if not for moral reasons, just because it might be good to have an army standing with his men. some of them were so useless with a blaster they might as well be spice-addled twi’leks. ‘ you drive a hard bargain, commander. you will get … ah, the percentage may vary, depending on how generous i feel. ‘ 

‘ so you’re willing to host us. ‘ 

hondo shrugs. ‘ jango was a good friend of mine. i would not mind having his face back here again. i will take you in, commander, out of the kindness of my heart. but - ‘ he says, and wags a finger at the commander. ‘ do try not to kill kenobi, eh? i’ve grown to like the man. ‘ 

cody gives him a sardonic little salute, managing to make the gesture somehow look sarcastic. ‘ yes, sir. ‘ 


	3. Chapter 3

it starts with cody. 

( it ends with cody. ) 

grievous is dead. dooku is dead. the cold air of utapau rattles through his helmet filters, burning his lungs and throat for the chill of it. around him, there are blaster bolts, cries of pain, the cliffs shaking underneath their boots, caked in red dust. 

he has a lightsaber in his hand. 

( not for the first time. it almost hit him in the head, dropping from above, this time ‘round, and he eyes the edge contemplatively, considering just tossing it over into the rock pools of water below. watching it fall. )

he looks out over the battlefield. 

there are broken bodies, his brothers bright casts of white across the red landscape. kenobi had come charging through some of them earlier, on his dragonmount, and the mount had sent troops flying off the edge as it ran through them. 

one of them hadn’t made it. obi-wan didn’t even mention their passing. 

cody is a strategist, and sees the bigger picture, sees that they’re pushing the enemy back, another gunship dropping in, the lasers working to take out some of the spider droids they’re dealing with. 

something tells him now is the time. he is marshall commander, the highest ranking clone in the gar, and it was agreed that he was the only one who could organize something like this. he gives one look more to the battlefield, and presses a code into his wrist comm. 

‘ this is commander cody, ‘ he says, and in every active clone’s helmet, his voice echoes. ‘ it’s time. it’s time.  _ke narir haar'ke'gyce rol'eta resol._ ‘ 

his comm clicks off, just in time, obi-wan’s dragonmount skittering up to cody, obi-wan looking weary, but forcing a grin, calling down to the commander, and cody pulls off his helmet, approaching him. 

‘ commander! send your men to the higher … ‘ it doesn’t matter what he’s saying, and cody revels, almost, in just … not listening. it’s not  _important_ that he listens. ‘ cody? are you alright? ‘ 

he takes another step forwards, obi-wan’s lightsaber concealed in his hand, and presses it, unignited, to the dragonmount’s ribs, under the crook of its shoulder, and activates it. it dies without ceremony, crumpling under kenobi, who looks at cody as if he’s gone mad. 

‘ hands in the air, sir, ‘ cody says calmly, and does what he had wanted earlier, and just  _tosses_ kenobi’s lightsaber over the edge. ‘ we don’t want to hurt you if we don’t have to. ‘ 

around them, there’s a  _cli-click-click-ck,_ of several guns being cocked, a circle of troopers surrounding obi-wan, who slides off the side of the mount, eyes darting back and forth, like he had added two and two and five had come out. ‘ commander, what is this? ‘ 

‘ you killed grievous. ‘ 

‘ yes, ‘ kenobi says, slowly. 

‘ the war will be over in - weeks at most. days, at least. tell me, kenobi, ‘ cody says, and lifts his chin, an expression of almost  _serenity_ shining through jango fett’s face. ‘ what do you think happens to us, when the war ends? ‘ 

there were protests, of course. had been, since the beginning of the war. anti-clone protesters, who argued that if the clones and droids were both disposed of, the two sides could come to a peace so much more easily. 

‘ i don’t know, commander, ‘ kenobi says. ‘ lower your gun. that’s an order. ‘ 

cody grins. 

‘ we have our own, now. order sixty-six. if the war ends, the senate will do their best to forget us. if we want to be free, this is the only chance we get. we don’t want to kill you, but if we have to? we would. ‘ upon seeing kenobi’s betrayed look, he adds: ‘ how many of  _us_ might as well have died at your hands, sir? ‘ 

‘ very well, commander, ‘ obi-wan says, slowly, eyes not leaving cody’s face. ‘ i surrender. are you going to cuff me? ‘ 

‘ no, ‘ cody says. he knows kenobi too well. in a cell or tied up, he’ll be out in the blink of an eye, and a wave of blue stun blasts ripples through the circle of troopers, obi-wan’s body crumpling to the ground, unceremoniously. like a clone. 

cody looks down at his general. 

‘ get him in one of the gunships. move the tanks to the higher levels. we’ll finish this fight and then begin the negotiations. ‘ 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a slightly different take on how things start. ( the senate can't say they were never warned. )

_i need your voice, senator._

bail organa stands before the senate, as is not unusual for him, with words prepared by a … friend? ally? friend-of-a-friend? cody is someone who he has exchanged words with maybe three times, prior to this, and who has come to his aid twice now. he owes him this much. 

mas amedda barks for order, order, and bail’s chin tilts up slightly, voice even, practiced. ‘ since it has recently come up with the matter on kiros, i would like to reaffirm the republic’s stance on anti-slavery. it has been brought forwards to me that one of the inner core worlds is maintaining an ongoing, even  _thriving_ slave trade that goes ignored by this senate. we must - ‘ 

‘ i have heard of no such thing, senator, ‘ the neimoidian senator says, bringing his seat out into the floor, and, not for the first time in the proceedings of this council, bail wonders if there’s a diplomatic way to punch him in the face. bail does not rise to the bait, simply remaining calm as mas amedda lowers a glower that could melt durasteel at lott dod, who’s pod shrinks back some with him. 

‘ as i was saying, ‘ bail continues. ‘ i have heard of this trade happening within the inner core itself. there has been some debate in the system as to whether or not it counts as slavery. so we have interviewed some of the individuals thus employed. we have disguised their voices, for now, to protect their identities. ‘ 

two recorded voices ring out in the senate; one clearly human and the other masked with some editing and fuzz. the transcript is as follows:

how much are you paid daily?  
 _are you kidding? we aren’t paid._

i see. how strenuous is the labor?  
 _there have been days where millions of us have died. it’s not unlikely you’ll be put to work and be stepping to for fourteen hours straight or standing in place for twenty._

are you allowed control of your lives?  
 _can you … break that down, maybe?_

yes, i’m sorry. do you have control of your bodies?  
 _no. we are marked with barcodes at birth, and growing up is a constant experience of poking and prodding to make sure we’ll serve better. we’re culled if we aren’t good enough._

of your minds?  
 _no. our brains are chipped to prevent us from doing what they don’t want._

what about where you live, where you go?   
 _no. we go only where they order us._

are you the legal property of these people?  
 _yes. their sigil is branded on us and on our clothes. they bought us, and they own our lives. they know it, too._

do you have your own possessions?  
 _no. our bodies aren’t even ours. we aren’t allowed to keep things._

the questions continue on like that. do you have a say in your family, your spouse? what are common punishments for you? what is the punishment of someone else if they killed one of you? 

by the time they stop, there’s a low murmur running through the senate seats, which buzzes into a roar when the recording pauses. bail stands, impassive still. he raises his hands, and the crowd hushes back to a hum. ‘ i ask that we vote now as to whether these people, by the republic’s own anti-slavery laws, are not being treated within the legal parameters of this senate. ‘ 

the board lights up green. more so than he’d expected, actually, and he smiles, to himself more than anything else, low and grim. 

his pod bobs up some, and he finds himself close to the chancellor, who is offering him a warm smile. ‘ a good point to be made indeed, senator. and now that that is settled, can you please reveal to us the planet responsible for continuing this? as a republic, we cannot allow it to continue. ‘ 

bail’s smile is sharp, around the edges. 

the recording starts back up again, shifts to include holo-footage, the voices unscrambled. there’s a clone in orange armor answering questions. then green, then red, then bluepurplecamoflaugeredredbrownorange - hundreds of the same face, speaking honestly. 

‘ coruscant. ‘ 

the senate is silent.


End file.
